Judge says children were taken unfairly

FORT LAUDERDALE

A judge has found the state Department of Children and Families negligent in failing to properly investigate the medical histories of two children before accusing their mother of intentionally making them sick.

Sara and Donald Evans lost custody of their two children, then 2 and 5, after the agency said they were victims of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a condition where a person deliberately makes another sick.

The children had records documenting their legitimate medical problems, and the family's doctors had given sworn statements rejecting the abuse allegations. But the DCF failed to consider those records, continuing dependency court proceedings three months after the family provided the documentation. The agency dismissed all abuse allegations in July 2006.

[Last modified August 25, 2007, 22:57:21]